Creator, Father, King #8

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

LIFE IS FULL OF great mysteries.

What really goes on at Area 51 in Nevada? What was the original purpose of Stonehenge? What happened to the biblical Ark of the Covenant? And who ever thought liver and onions sounded good for dinner?

We will never know the answers to all of life’s most puzzling questions. Perhaps the greatest—yet most beautiful—mystery of all is the Trinity. As we discussed yesterday, there is only one God, yet he exists in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—who are equal in their divine natures yet separate in their roles.

Even though each person in the triune Godhead is equal and perfect, it’s important to know the distinctions between and various roles of the three.

What’s It Mean?

One of the primary roles of God the Father was to speak the universe into existence. While the Son (Colossians 1:15-16) and the Spirit (Genesis 1:2) were also greatly involved, it was the Father who actually uttered the powerful words of Creation, starting with, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

In heaven’s eternal plan of salvation, the Father charted the course. He also sovereignly chose those whom he would save (Ephesians 1:4-5) and actively sent the Son to earth to pay the redemption price for human sin (Galatians 4:4-5), extending remarkable mercy and grace to lost sinners.

The Son of God—not the Father or the Spirit—came to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, accomplishing the work of redemption. And the Spirit applies Jesus’ redemptive work in a Christian’s life by regenerating a spiritually dead heart to new life (what we call “being born again”) through faith and by helping believers become more like Christ (sanctification). Although the Son and Spirit are equal in deity to the Father, they are both willingly subordinate to him in how they function within the Godhead and among humanity.

This is just a brief glimpse into the Trinity and its distinction of roles. Praise God for his glorious three-in-one nature and how it eternally benefits all believers!

Now What?

Do further book study on the Trinity. Ask a parent or another trusted adult for recommendations, if needed.

Did You Know?

The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed progressively through Scripture, being implied in the Old Testament (e.g., “let us” in Genesis 1:26) and explicitly mentioned in the New Testament (e.g., today’s verse).